Vision in Black
by Anne09
Summary: Harry had once told Ginny that she was a vision in black. It pained her to remember his soft voice as she dressed for his funeral... REVISED!


Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter. I'm merely siphoning a little creativity from JK Rowling's brilliance.

Vision in Black

Ginny sighed as she pinned the final curl into place behind her head. After much deliberation, she decided she wanted her hair out of her face for this particular occasion. She also decided on very little makeup, knowing that it would be wiped off by the end of the day anyway.

She walked to her bed and gazed wistfully at the black dress laid out before her. Being careful not to disturb her hair, she pulled it gently over her head. She shook her hips slightly to allow the dress to fall to its full length just below the knee. The silk of the dress tickled her skin pleasantly. She zipped it up slowly, savoring the feeling of it tightening against her. The bodice fit perfectly around her bust and toned stomach as if it was tailor made. The dress loosened at her hips, the rest of the material falling straight to the floor. Once the dress was properly situated, she padded back over to the vanity to finish her preparations.

Ginny loved this room the moment she stepped foot on the lavish carpet. She'd actually taken her shoes off to feel the thick material between her toes. The apartment was her engagement present from Harry; he planned to move in with her after the honeymoon.

Pushing him out of her mind with difficulty, she adorned simple black earrings. As a final touch, she pinned a small black hat slightly askew on the top of her head. After reluctantly slipping into her black high heels, she was ready.

Ginny looked herself over in a full length mirror. Her pale skin was amplified by the mass of black she was wearing. The hat covered most of her red hair, making her seem more colorless and lifeless than ever before.

Harry had often told Ginny that she was a vision in black. It pained her to remember his soft voice. Ignoring the thought, she reached for her purse. She paused, mid reach as a glint of light caught her eye. She stared at the large diamond on her ring finger, entranced by the sight. She barely smiled as a single tear slipped down her cheek. Memories of Harry came flooding back to her. No longer able to contain her emotions; she sunk to the floor defeated.

The wedding never happened. The final battle took Harry from her two weeks before she was to become his wife. He had defeated Lord Voldemort, but died immediately afterwards. He was so wounded that it was a miracle he lived as long as he did. She had been there. She'd seen him fall to the ground. She'd watched him breathe his last breath.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down. She still had to attend the funeral. Standing bravely, she grabbed her purse, turned out the lights and left the apartment. A gust of wind greeted her as she stepped outside. Her dress whipped fiercely around her legs. She faced the wind, allowing it to dry her tear stained cheeks. Lifting her arms slightly, she surrendered to its fury, relishing the stillness it brought to her heart. But her moment of peace died with the wind, and all the anguish and despair returned somehow more potent than before.

"Ginny."

Startled, she looked to her father who was summoning her from the street.

"Ginny, it's time," he said.

"I know," she replied softly.

She took his arm and allowed herself to be escorted to the ministry car. The funeral was to take place at Hogwarts, but he was to be buried with his parents. Ginny looked blankly out the window at the passing scenery, absentmindedly twirling her engagement ring around her finger. Her mind drifted to the night Harry told her the battle was coming… the last night he was alive.

"_Gin, it's here."_

"_No. No, don't say that." _

"_You knew this day would come."_

"_Yes, but not so soon. It's not fair."_

"_I know."_

"_What about the wedding? It's only two weeks away. Can't you at least hold off until then?"_

"_Don't ask for the impossible, love. I'm only human."_

"_Yes, Harry, you are human! You're not immortal. You could die! Please, don't go. I can't live without you!"_

The car door opened and her memories were lost. Arthur helped her out of the car, and they slowly walked up the path to Hogwarts. The familiar sight of the castle calmed her significantly. The elegantly decorated lawn was already swarming with people who had come to give their respects to their savior.

The Weasleys rushed to greet Ginny the moment she was spotted. Most of them hadn't seen her since the battle. Her mother hugged her tightly and fussed over her while the others offered their condolences. Even Percy had the decency to hug her lightly before joining his coworkers from the ministry. Hermione squeezed Ginny extra hard before returning to Ron's comforting arms. The two had reluctantly announced their engagement a few days earlier. Ginny was constantly assuring everyone that she was happy for them, despite the cold jealousy that gripped her heart every time she saw them together.

Ginny did her best to accept everyone's condolences with a smile. She had to be strong, like Harry had been strong. It wasn't until everyone was seated and the funeral started that the grief consumed her.

Professor McGonagall's voice drifted over her. It was as though everyone's sobs were muted in her ears. Through bleary eyes, she looked around at the attendees. Her father had an arm around her crying mother. His cheeks glistened with tears, but his face was set in a hard expression. Next to her, Ron was holding onto Hermione's hand so tightly that his knuckles were white. His teeth were clenched as he fought the tears growing in his eyes. Hermione was hunched over, her head resting on her free hand as tears ran down her face and fell into her lap. Ginny heard a whisper behind her.

"Harry was always such a nice boy."

Anger consumed Ginny at the stranger's comment. He was so much more than a nice boy. He was her fiancée; her perfect, loving, handsome fiancée. He had sacrificed himself for everyone sitting around her. Hate swelled in her chest at the thought, but quickly died away. Harry didn't do it for them… he did it for her.

"_Please don't go."_

"_I have to. You know that!" _

"_No, you don't. Let someone else do it."_

_"No one else can, Gin. The prophecy says—"_

"_Damn the prophecy! I don't care about your stupid prophecy! You don't always have to be the hero. Stop doing what's best for wizard kind and do what's best for you— what's best for us."_

"_I am doing what's best for us!"_

"_How? By leaving? By sacrificing your life for a bunch of wizards who aren't worth the ground you walk on?"_

"_By defeating Voldemort. It's the only way we can have any kind of life together."_

"_No, it's not. You don't have to fight. We can run away."_

"_No, we can't."_

"_Yes! Yes, we can. Listen, you pack, and I'll go to Gringotts. We have more than enough money to get by. We'll go to… to America! We'll take a muggle plane. They'll never think to look for us there. Can't you see us roaming around New York? Or Los Angeles? Anywhere we want to go! America will be our playground. We can even live as muggles. They'll never find us. Please. Please, let's just go." _

"_It won't work."_

"_Yes it will! It has to work! I won't let you go!"_

"_You would live on the run, always looking behind your back, never staying in one place for more than a month?"_

"_If it meant we could be together, then yes. I would."_

"_Well, that's not good enough for me! I want to be a free man! All my life Voldemort has been in my head. Don't you understand? It will never end. He will never stop looking for me! I have to kill him. And it has to be now. It's the only way to keep you safe."_

"_I don't want to be safe if it means losing you."_

"_You're not losing me. I will come back. I promise." _

Ginny didn't realize how hard she was sobbing until she felt Ron's arms wrap around her. He rocked her and told her everything would be okay. Though Ginny didn't see how things could ever be "okay" again, she could see everyone's sympathetic stares. Unwilling to be the center of attention at Harry's funeral, she took several deep breaths in an effort to retain her composure. Ron eventually returned to comforting Hermione, leaving Ginny alone with her grief once again.

Person after person got up to speak about Harry's goodness, his greatness, and his ultimate sacrifice. She was referenced several times, as were Ron and Hermione. All three offered tight smiles at the mention of their names.

Finally, the service was over, and row by row people filed up to his casket for a last goodbye. Ginny fell in line behind Ron; she was to be the last person to see Harry before his casket was closed and carried away. The line moved slower as those close to Harry said goodbye, but it still moved too fast for Ginny. As she came closer to him, she didn't think she could do it. She wanted to turn and run away. She couldn't say goodbye. Before she had a chance to leave, Ron walked away from the casket leaving Ginny alone. Looking at Harry's face, she knew she could never leave him. All she could do was stand there memorizing his features. Reaching out slowly, she grasped his hand. The coldness shocked her as she fully comprehended his death for the first time.

For so long she'd relied on the warmth of his embrace and now it was gone forever. His slack lips would never form that lopsided grin she'd fallen in love with. His bright green eyes would never look into hers. He would never speak, never breathe, never think, never kiss. At that moment, Ginny felt truly alone. She wanted to crawl into the casket next to him. She wanted one last kiss to breathe life into him, but she knew it was a fool's hope. All the strength left her body, and she fell to her knees before him. This time, there was no arm around her shoulders urging her to calm down. She was allowed to sit before her fiancée and weep for her loss with no interruption. She clutched his hand like it was her lifeline, her last connection to him. Desperately gasping for breath, she looked up at his face and cried "I love you, Harry Potter. I'll never stop loving you. Do you hear me! Never!" The sobs wracked her body so violently that she thought she was going to be sick. But her body grew tired, and her eyes ran out of tears. After several moments of resigned silence, Ginny pulled herself to her feet. She gently kissed his scar.

"Goodbye, Harry."

Stepping away, she reluctantly let go of his hand. The top of the casket was shut forcefully. She shut her eyes unable to block the grief flooding her body. The pole-bearers came forward and carried him away. Ginny stood there and watched her life die before her, already wishing she could look at his face on more time. Her mother and Hermione took both of her arms and urged her forward. Ginny was unaware that her legs were moving, but could see the limousine coming closer. She refused to get in until she saw the hearse doors close in on the casket.

Molly tried to ease the tense silence by commenting on how nice the service was. Hermione readily agreed and Arthur tried to continue the conversation. But Ginny couldn't hear anything outside of her own grief.

They reached the burial ground and filed out around the grave site. Harry's fellow Aurors lined up for a hero's ceremony and shot loud fireworks from their wands in quick succession. Ginny winced every time. The Minister of Magic then presented her with Harry's wand. She picked it up with shaking fingers and held it to her chest.

They lowered his casket into the ground, her heart going with it. She walked to the edge and considered throwing herself into the hole with him. Instead, she kissed a white rose and dropped it as a symbol of her soul made whole by him. She then grabbed a handful of dirt. Standing up, she straightened her arm in front of her and slowly let it slip between her fingertips. When her hand was empty, she let it fall limp at her side. Others made similar gestures and soon her white rose was battered and buried beneath the dirt. The crowd slowly dispersed, but she found herself unable to move. The whispers around her gently made their way to her ears.

"Poor soul. You know they were to be married today."

"Oh my. How terribly sad. The poor dear must be so broken-hearted."

"It's such a shame they couldn't have married earlier. I so wanted to see what would become of Harry Potter's heir."

"I guess we'll never know."

Ginny placed both hands on her stomach. A hollow smile graced her lips as she remembered the series of kisses that followed her happy announcement. Closing her eyes, she wished she could live in that moment forever.

"You promised me. You promised you'd return." She fell to her knees weeping. "You promised… How could you leave me all alone! How could you leave your baby fatherless? You didn't have to die. Why did you go? Why did you leave?" Gasping for breath, she stood on weak legs. "And now, you're making me say goodbye. So goodbye, Harry. I'll never stop loving you."

Ginny joined her family in the limo. As it drove away, a sense of abandonment swelled in her chest. She'd promised never to leave his side. Where was she going? Throwing her hands against the window she screamed for the driver to stop.

"No! I can't leave him! Turn around, please!"

Her mother pulled her quaking daughter to her chest. "Let him go! You have to let him go, Ginevra!"

Ginny sobbed against her mother as she stroked Ginny's hair. "Let him go, darling. You have to continue. You have to live on."

Ginny clung to her mother's words. They offered the only semblance of hope she had. Unaware of the passing of time, days turned into weeks, which turned into months. She adopted Harry's last name and stayed in their apartment, but was rarely left alone for more than a night.

Six long months later, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy with shock black hair and bright green eyes.


End file.
